


Let It Be

by PrinceSkylar



Series: Taking Care Of Things [9]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Adult Language, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Bonding, Boys In Love, Daddy Issues, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Feelings, Feels, Fluff, Hickies, M/M, Making Out, Mentions of Sex, Neck Kissing, Non-Explicit Sex, Romantic Fluff, Steamy Situations, kiba's dad (OC), side GaaLee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-04-26 05:22:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14395191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceSkylar/pseuds/PrinceSkylar
Summary: There was a distinct kind of pain to Kankuro's expression, the kind that made Kiba ache down to his core. This was the harsh reality of their situation. This was how adults worked, how love played out when you fell for the last person you ever expected to fall for. Oddly enough, Kiba found himself thinking about his dad."When you're young and in love you always think it's going to last forever."He didn't want this part to last forever, the harsh reality that they'd part ways and have to mend their own wounds alone in their rooms, miles apart. He wanted the feelings from the other night to last forever, the heated gazes that were tinged with affection and sincerity. The gentle hands in messy hair. The nervous lips caught between teeth. The kissing that left them both breathless and gasping for air, like they were drowning in each other. He wanted that to last forever.But he didn't have forever. He had tonight.Or: Feelings always lead to things.





	Let It Be

**Author's Note:**

> sorry this took so long! I injured my wrist recently so writing has been hard.   
> I told a few choice readers there would be some smutty content here but it just didn't want to work so the smut isn't really even there. It's talked about and that's it. It's rated M for the talk of Dicks and cursing, mostly. So I do apologize for that, but I also decided that actual smut wasn't vital to the story. It isn't what its about.  
> There's gonna be one more after this one, so I'll try to write as much as I can with my injured wrist!

Crying his eyes out wasn't something Kiba made a habit of. He hardly ever cried over things that weren't Akamaru to begin with, really, so after crying the whole night before and then crying his eyes out when he got back from seeing his dad...it tired him out, really. He stayed curled up with Akamaru in his bed for hours. He was pretty sure he missed dinner again but no one came up to get him, giving him space. He was sure Kankuro probably told Gaara that things hadn't gone very well. He didn't know the details, sure, but he knew enough to know what to tell Gaara if he asked. Akamaru had tried to convince Kiba to go down for dinner, fully aware that he hadn't eaten anything all day or even last night, but crying so much had left Kiba sick to his stomach. He didn't want to throw up tonight. Or at all, really.

He lost track of time at some point. Before he knew it, it was late at night, probably close to midnight. His stomach was still twisting and churning and his eyes stung but he wasn't crying anymore.  _Finally_. He heaved a sigh, his throat aching a bit, and turned over onto his back so he could stare up at the ceiling. The anger from earlier had passed, leaving a sense of emptiness behind in it's absence. His father's words had replayed over and over in his head and really, each time they repeated, more anger started to give way to an empty sadness. In a way, he had expected it. Silently hoped it would go better, sure, but there was a part of him that had always expected it to go...well, bad. Was it too much to ask that his dad not be shit, though?

He was dreading telling Hana. His mom would be able to handle hearing all of it, he was sure, but Hana...he didn't want to make her feel as upset as he felt. Granted, Hana was a lot tougher than most people gave her credit for. But she had been close with their dad before he left and Kiba was just really worried that telling her everything Kenzo had said would mess with her head. He couldn't just keep it away from her, of course; that would probably be worse. He'd ask her first, he decided. He'd ask her if she wanted to know and then go from there. If Hana didn't want to know then that was fine; Kiba could tell Shino and Hinata about it if he really had to get it out of his system and that was fine. The thought of him telling Hana, though, and seeing any expression close to sadness on her face was what Kiba was most afraid of. His sister wasn't one to dwell on sadness or anger, but when she did...it always left Kiba feeling helpless. Being the cause of his sisters distress had never been a problem before. A selfish part of him was hoping Hana wouldn't want to know, after all.

Heaving another sigh Kiba brought a hand up to rub at his face, as if he could rub away the racing thoughts. He pushed himself up and sucked in a breath, reaching over to pet the sleeping Akamaru. "Good boy.." He murmured softly, even though he knew Akamaru was too tired to wake up at the gentle praise. Poor big guy. Kiba stood up slowly and stretched a bit, listening to his back pop, and quietly shuffled out of his room. Really, he expected Gaara and Kankuro to already be asleep. Gaara's door had light peeking out from under it though, meaning the Kazekage was up late doing god knows what, and Kankuro's door was wide open, light streaming out. It made Kiba pause in the hall way, chewing his lip anxiously as he struggled with the urge to wander to Kankuro's room to avoid being left alone with his thoughts.

They weren't on...awful terms, apparently, but Kiba didn't feel like they were on the best of terms, either. He wanted to talk to Kankuro, didn't he? Was now the perfect time? In the middle of the night while Kiba's eyes were still puffy and red, his stomach still twisting and turning?

He wouldn't get a very good chance to talk to him if he didn't do it now, though. He was sure of it.

With another heavy sigh, Kiba ran his hand through his hair and made his way down the hall. When he stopped in Kankuro's door way, undetected by the other right away, he took a second to take in the sight of him. Kankuro was reclined against his headboard on his bed, a book in his hands and eyes roaming over the pages. His face was washed clean of his paint and he was dressed in a T-shirt and his boxer shorts, his tan legs on display for Kiba's eyes to rake over. Kiba almost felt lewd doing it, but he had to fight off that feeling. He wasn't trying to be weird. He was here to make things better...somehow.

Kankuro glanced up, eyes widening a little bit when he saw Kiba lingering in the door way, and he closed his book slowly. "Hey, you're alive."

"Guess so." Kiba shrugged a little bit, glancing aside as he tried to find his words. When none came to mind or left his lips he just sighed, again, and shuffled into the room.

Kankuro didn't argue or stop him when he crawled onto the bed. In fact, Kankuro shifted to make it more comfortable, lying down and letting Kiba lay on top of him with his head resting against his chest. Kankuro's arms were gentle and cautious as they wrapped around him but they were still good, still familiar. Kiba relaxed almost instantly, taking a deep breath and enjoying the way Kankuro's scent soothed him as it washed over him. If Kankuro had any objections he wasn't saying so, something Kiba decided to take as a good sign for the time being. Neither of them said anything right away. Kiba pressed his nose into Kankuro's shirt, taking a bigger sniff of him, and then he sighed softly and that was when Kankuro finally spoke up.

"You get sick of being in your room?" He asked, his voice soft.

Kiba managed another small shrug. "Got sick of being alone with my thoughts. My brain is stupid." He mumbled.

"Brains are like that sometimes." Kankuro nodded a little bit. His arms didn't move from around Kiba but they tightened a bit, holding him just a little closer. "Do you want to talk about it or do you want a distraction from it?"

As nice as a distraction sounded, Kiba knew that wasn't what he needed. "...Talk, I guess. I don't know where to start, though."

"Fair enough." Kankuro shifted, arms sliding a bit higher to wrap around Kiba tighter. Kiba stiffened just a little when he felt Kankuro's lips pressing to the top of his head but before he could give his heart a chance to break all over again, Kankuro started talking. "Just tell me how it made you feel, I guess. We can go from there. And if you want to stop talking about it for any reason at all then that's totally fine."

Right...how he felt. He could do that. He shifted a little bit, pressing his face into Kankuro's chest for a second before he lifted his head enough to speak. "I feel...really mad, I think. At least I was mad earlier but now I just feel..." He waved his hand a bit. "Sad. Maybe. I don't think sad is the right word, either."

"Well...I think being angry makes sense." Kankuro offered slowly. "Was...he really that bad?"

"He...he was exactly what I was expecting. Like I said." Kiba muttered. He let his head thud back onto Kankuro's chest and frowned to himself. "...Is it stupid that I was sort of hoping he wouldn't be...such a let down? Mom told me not to get my hopes up and I kept telling myself that it'll probably be bad but...a part of me was still hoping it wouldn't be so awful."

"That's not stupid at all, Kiba." Kankuro assured him. Kiba felt Kankuro's fingers running through his hair, maybe to comfort him, maybe to distract him. He wasn't sure but he didn't want to think too hard about it, either. "I think it's what anyone would do, really. No one...really wants to fully accept that their parents aren't what we built them up in our minds to be. I'm just sorry it went so bad." A small pause. "Did he tell you why he left?"

"He and Mom weren't married when they had Hana, and they weren't married when they had me." Kiba replied softly. "Mom wanted to get married but he didn't. He...he said that he stopped being in love with her by the time I was born and that...it just makes me feel really awful to think about, I guess." He leaned more into the fingers raking through his hair, the only thing keeping him grounded at this point. "I was always worried that maybe he didn't love her. But for him to tell me that he just...grew  _out_  of love, that he didn't want to be a father so early in life just...I don't know. Hana was an accident. He didn't specify if I was, too, but it just feels that way. He said he couldn't just leave Mom alone with Hana...and he loved us. But...he didn't love  _her._  It just...him saying he fell out of love and left just...shakes me up."

"Well...that sort of thing happens more often than most people realize." Kankuro told him. "I think...I think that maybe him leaving might have been his best option. Staying with your mom when he didn't love her...it could have made things worse. Growing up could have been awful for you and your sister if you got caught up in fights or...well, anything. I'm not justifying what he did but...I think a lot of the time when people stop loving the person they're with, they force themselves to stay with them for the sake of kids or for others and that never ends well for anyone. I think...in a way, it was best that he left." Kankuro almost sounded hesitant, like he was yet again worried that Kiba would have an awful reaction.

"No, I understand that part." Kiba insisted gently, shaking his head. "But he...he never came back. He didn't even try to see me and Hana afterwards. He didn't have to come back for Mom. Hell, he didn't even have to come back and stay. Just...all he had to do was make an effort so we knew we were important and he couldn't even do that.  _That's_  what I'm so angry about, I think, above anything else. He could have at least made an effort and he didn't. He came here and got married and raised someone else's kids and didn't try to even come see his own..."

"...Fuck him." Kankuro murmured softly. "I'm sorry this went so south, Kiba. But...just because your dad didn't make the effort, it doesn't mean you aren't worth it." He shifted again, this time one hand gripping Kiba's chin and forcing him to look up at him. Kiba couldn't really place the expression the other wore, some sort of mixture of caution, pain, and that painful affection that made him weak in the knees. "You're worth all the love and care in the world. What your dad did, or didn't do, is his fault and he has to live with it for the rest of his life. But you...you have people who care about you. Who love you. You can overcome whatever his absence did to you. You're worth it, always."

Christ, Kiba could have sworn his heart was ready to burst. Kankuro sounded as sincere as always, like every word was being ripped straight out of his heart and being laid down in front of Kiba for his taking.

Kiba glanced away, frowning a little bit. "...You say that after how big of an ass I was last night?"

"I think I was the one that crossed a line last night, Kiba." Kankuro insisted gently, letting his hand fall away from Kiba's face. "You had...every right to tell me what you were feeling. I had no right saying you were anything like him."

"You're right, you didn't." Kiba agreed softly, glancing back at him. "...But I was thinking it too. I've been thinking it for a while, but I know I'm not like him now. After all of that...after him telling me how easily he fell out of love...I can't be like him. I thought that the way I handled my crushes on Hinata and Naruto meant I was, but I  _made_  myself stop liking them. I didn't just...fade out of those feelings. I forced myself. Then with you..." he hesitated, watching the way Kankuro's eyes widened just a bit. He sighed and shrugged lamely. "With you...I know that even when I leave there's no way I'm going to stop feeling this way about you. It's like you're in my bloodstream...or seeping down into my bones and making home in the most intimate spot of my soul. I won't just fall out of love with you. I'm not like my dad at all in that aspect. I wasn't trying to break it off because I wasn't feeling anything. I was feeling  _too much_."

Saying it made him feel mortified but the flustered and surprised look on Kankuro's face was enough to make Kiba hold his ground, holding the other's gaze until Kankuro had to look away as a blush stained his cheeks. Kiba had expected to feel tense when he said this finally, or maybe at least unsteady. And while it was true that he was still nervous and afraid, there was still a part of him that felt relieved to hear himself say those words. It was almost like a weight was lifted from his shoulders and he wanted to melt into Kankuro's embrace but he held strong, unsure of what Kankuro would say.

When Kankuro looked back at him his gaze was softer, but still hesitant. He eyed Kiba for what felt like forever before clearing his throat. "That's...good to know. I feel the same, you know." His hand came up again to cup one of Kiba's cheeks. "I told you before that I fell for you that day I saved you and Akamaru...it was because I saw a side of you I didn't think was there. You were scared and frantic...you were so scared you'd lose Akamaru and up until then I hadn't even considered that you had things precious to you that you wanted to protect. Seeing the tender way you looked at Akamaru...knowing how hard you'd fight for the ones you love...it made me feel something. I was just blown away by the look in your eyes, how even though you were scared you were still fighting with all you had to win and protect him without any care about what happened to you...that's when I realized your heart was a thousand times bigger than I gave you credit for." His lip was caught between his teeth now, like he was nervous.

"I just...I've always been so blown away by you, I guess." He continued. "No one gives you enough credit. You're so, so smart...and your heart is so big and you care so much that it's heart breaking. And I love that about you, Kiba. I feel blessed to just be around you sometimes. I was such an awful person back then-"

"You weren't awful!" Kiba cut in, a little quickly. Flustered by the other's confession, yes, but thrown off course by Kankuro's self deprecation. He sat up as best as he could in his position, his hands coming up to cup both of Kankuro's cheeks to keep him from looking away. "You were never awful. Scary...yeah, you were a little scary, but you were young. You...you had to be scary. I mean hell, look at where you grew up and who raised you. It's...it's no surprise you had to grow up and be a little scary, Kankuro."

Even though he couldn't look away Kankuro still averted his eyes, something close to shame etching itself on his face. "I was terrible, Kiba. You used to be terrified of me."

"Yeah, and you used to hate the ground me and all my friends from Konoha walked on." Kiba shot back, scowling a little bit at him. "But we both grew up. You...you realized all that stuff about me you just talked about and I realized you weren't terrible. You were raised in a scary place with a dad that was...awful. You had to protect yourself and your siblings, and you had to do whatever it took to do that." His frown softened again and he let his hands fall away from Kankuro's face, resting them on his shoulders instead. "You're so ashamed of the things you did in the past...but it's the past. You've already proven a hundred times over that you're a good man, Kankuro. You have a big heart too, and you love your home and your family so much...we all do things we aren't proud of when we're kids, or for the sake of or village...but you're not who you were then. You're a different person. You're not a scared and weary child that has to always be on your feet and ready to fight. No one's taking the things you love away from you anymore."

Kiba was never really good at motivational talks or advice. It never came easy to him, but right now the words tumbled past his lips and were accompanied by a sincerity he'd never had before. But he meant every word he said and he desperately wanted Kankuro to believe him, to know he was a better person than he gave himself credit for. If you asked Kiba, Kankuro was one of the best and selfless people he knew. It made him ache knowing Kankuro felt so bad about himself.

It must have struck Kankuro the right way, though, because his expression softened as a smile started to tug at the corner of his lips. He sighed and shook his head a bit, one hand sliding up to run his fingers through Kiba's hair. The action almost had Kiba's eyes rolling back but he controlled himself a bit, offering the smallest smile back at the other. Kankuro snorted softly. "When did you get so smart, huh?"

"Hell if I know." Kiba murmured softly. "But I'm right, at least, so that's what matters."

"I guess so." Kankuro said softly. His fingers stilled in Kiba's hair as he sighed again. "You say all this cute shit and yet...I know you probably haven't changed your mind, right? About...the distance."

Kiba hesitated and shook his head slowly. "...I can't." He told him. "I just...I know for a fact I don't trust myself to trust you. I know that sounds bad but I...have a hard time dealing with my feelings and an even harder time when people aren't physically there to prove their words to me. I know you'd be loyal. I know you'd never lie to me. But...I'd still be anxious. I'd still over think myself into a panic and get sick and I...I can't do that to myself and I can't throw that kind of guilt onto you, either. I wish I could just be okay with letters and seeing you when I'm off duty but I...I need you there with me. I'm selfish and I won't be happy unless I'm with you always."

"That isn't selfish." Kankuro's grip on his hair tightened just enough for him to be able to tug Kiba closer, their lips pressed together for just a second before Kankuro leaned his head back to sigh. "...I'm the same way, really. I never thought about how to handle this when you left. Now that I've gotten a taste I don't want to let go even for a little bit and I...It's not like I could ever ask you to leave Konoha. Your family is there...all your friends."

Kiba's eyes widened. Leaving Konoha had never been something he wanted to do. His whole life was there. His family, their dogs, his friends, his sister's clinic...Kiba couldn't dream of giving that up. He'd be a wreck and he knew Kankuro would be overflowing with guilt for ages if he did. Kankuro would never forgive himself.

"I...could never ask you to leave Suna, though, either." Kiba told him gently. Gaara was here in Suna. Kankuro was the only one Gaara had left now that Temari lived in Konoha and Kiba knew the two brothers were too close to pull apart. Kankuro would never stop being paranoid, worried about Gaara and his mental state if he lived alone in their huge house. Kiba couldn't do that to Kankuro...or to Gaara, either, if he were to be honest. Kankuro would be miserable if he knew Gaara was here in Suna all alone. "Gaara's here...you need him. I know you say he needs you but I think you need him more and I...I couldn't never ask you to leave this place..."

There was a distinct kind of pain to Kankuro's expression, the kind that made Kiba ache down to his core. This was the harsh reality of their situation. This was how adults worked, how love played out when you fell for the last person you ever expected to fall for. Oddly enough, Kiba found himself thinking about his dad.

_"When you're young and in love you always think it's going to last forever."_

He didn't want this part to last forever, the harsh reality that they'd part ways and have to mend their own wounds alone in their rooms, miles apart. He wanted the feelings from the other night to last forever, the heated gazes that were tinged with affection and sincerity. The gentle hands in messy hair. The nervous lips caught between teeth. The kissing that left them both breathless and gasping for air, like they were drowning in each other. He wanted that to last forever.

But he didn't have forever. He had tonight.

Kiba shifted further up suddenly and when Kankuro glanced at him, seeing the other looming over him, Kiba didn't hesitate to press their lips together to stop the words from spilling from the other's lips. Kankuro made a soft noise of surprise and shoved at Kiba's shoulders, a gesture that had Kiba jerking away in surprise faster enough to make him kind of light headed. Kankuro stared up at him with wide eyes, grip tightening on his shoulders "You said you can't-"

"I can't." Kiba agreed, voice tight. His chest was starting to ache again, his eyes stinging with tears as he hid his face in Kankuro's neck. "I can't do it but I still want you so bad. Even if it's just for tonight...I want all of you. Whatever you want to give me before I leave and make myself get over all of this. I..." He stopped himself, trying to force back a sniffle as he sat up and wiped at his eyes quickly with the back of his hand. "I suck, okay? I suck and this...this is shitty of me to even ask but I need this. I need you before I have to leave. I...I don't know when I'll ever see you again."

Kankuro's gaze softened but there was a pain there, etched in the depths of his dark eyes as his hands loosened their grip on Kiba's shoulders. "Kiba..."

It was unfair of Kiba to ask. A little stupid, too, but he didn't want to stop himself despite knowing he should. "Just for tonight...just us. You and me."

Kiba sort of hoped Kankuro would say no. Doing this would make leaving ten times harder on the both of them. He should have felt awful for sitting here and dangling himself in front of the other, for being so desperate but...christ, there was so much going on in his mind but the only thing he could focus on was how much he was going to  _miss_  Kankuro. How much he just wanted to never stop seeing him. There was no reason for him to stay any longer now that he seen his dad. If he stayed any longer he would just be avoiding all of it...avoiding leaving.

"Shit...shit no, I'm being an idiot." Kiba murmured, shaking his head quickly. "Forget what I said, I'm being an idiot."

"N-no you're not." Kankuro insisted gently, his own expression now panicked and uneasy, like he was worried Kiba was going to run away and hide away in his room again. He reached towards Kiba's face only to have his hand smacked away, Kiba glaring at him with narrowed, tear filled eyes. Kankuro fell silent, looking just as confused and on edge as Kiba felt.

"You have to stop  _doing_  that!" Kiba hissed through grit teeth. He slammed his fist onto Kankuro's chest gently, sniffling loudly. "Y-you sit here and tell me I'm not an idiot after what I was just trying to get you to do...You...I'm not some flawless being, Kankuro! Stop being so forgiving! You...You should be angry with me!"

Kankuro's gaze softened after that and he took a deep breath, rolling his shoulders in a small shrug. "I can't be angry with you, Kiba...not now." He said softly. "This...doing this with you...it's been on my mind constantly since that night." He admitted, his voice softer now as a blush stained his cheeks. "I...I couldn't say no to this."

Kiba wanted to scream. "But...but it's gonna be so much worse when I leave if we-"

"It's gonna hurt either way, baby." Kankuro told him softly, pulling Kiba's chin closer so he could kiss his cheek. "I'm never going to forgive myself if I don't find out how it feels to unravel you bit by bit."

Kiba's eyes widened, his face taking on a light shade of pink. That...hadn't been what he was expecting at all, but to hear Kankuro say something like that had his stomach fluttering in a way he'd never really experienced before. He bit his lip and stared at Kankuro, hesitant still, and he started to lean away again. "I don't want to hurt you-"

Kankuro didn't let him move away though. The puppet master yanked Kiba back down, crashing their lips together with enough force to have their teeth banging together in the process. Kiba fought back the wave of frantic worry and kissed Kankuro back with all he had, his hands flying up to grip the other's hair and tug on it until he was dragging ragged gasps from the other's lips. Kankuro's hands were slipping under Kiba's shirt, braver than they'd been the last time they'd messed around like this, and he felt fingers brush over his nipples. It had Kiba gasping into Kankuro's lips, arching into his touch more as a shiver ran down his spine. Kankuro smirked against his lips. "There we go..."

And then the rest of the night was a blur of searching hands and trembling lips.

* * *

Morning came gently, the sunlight pouring in through the open curtains and warming Kiba's bare skin. He shifted just a little bit, cracking his eyes open to take in the sight before him. Kankuro fast asleep, the blankets tangled around his bare legs, with hickies and bite marks littering his neck and chest. Kiba felt a twinge of pride knowing he made those marks but he knew he had more on himself, knew Kankuro had marked him up good and hard all night. Just thinking about it sent a shiver down his spine and Kiba sucked in a breath, pressing closer to the other.

He hadn't fallen apart during sex last night like he thought he would. He cried, sure, but it wasn't because he was upset. He cried because he was happy and Kankuro had done the same, both of them holding hands tightly as Kankuro pressed into him...it had Kiba shivering again. He looped his arms around Kankuro's naked hips, pressing his lips Kankuro's neck, right over where he left a hickey of his own last night.

Kiba had surprised himself with his own eagerness last night, really. After the tears had calmed down and his mind caught up to his body he'd all but thrown himself into their activity, becoming a writhing and whining mess that he'd be embarrassed to think about later. Not that he minded. He was afraid he'd get too nervous and back out...but he did the exact opposite. It wasn't like he, or Kankuro, were complaining.

Beside him Kankuro grunted softly, turning his head towards him as his eyes fluttered open slowly. He blinked at Kiba a few times before a small, lazy smile tugged at his lips, and he turned over on his side to face him fully. "You're cuddly in the morning. Nice."

Kiba snorted softly, his heart melting as Kankuro's arms slid around him and pulled him closer until they were flush against each other. Pressed chest to chest, letting his legs tangle with Kankuro's, Kiba couldn't stop the wave of warmth that seemed to wash over him. He'd woken up in bed with the man he was in love with. Sure, it wasn't the first time he woke up next to Kankuro...but they had sex last night. Sex where they both cried, where Kankuro whispered praises into every inch of Kiba's skin like he was hoping the words would seep into his skin. Not that Kiba could forget them, anyways. No one's ever said those things to him, never whispered his name in a broken voice laced with passion and love the way Kankuro did.

Should he have felt weird getting turned on by the passionate aspect of their sex? The sex itself was great, of course. Kankuro was gentle and patient, took each step carefully to make sure Kiba was comfortable...but the crying and the way they clung to each other...for some reason that was making Kiba flush harder than before, was making him want to do it all again. He bit his lip as he nuzzled into Kankuro. "I'm usually cuddly with Akamaru, but you're almost as fun to cuddle as him."

Kankuro snickered softly, pinching Kiba's side and making him huff. "That's mean; I took such good care of you last night and you're being mean to me." He said, voice dripping with mock hurt. He was probably smirking, Kiba knew.

"I'm teasing." Kiba snorted softly, lip caught between his teeth as he let his fingers start to trace idle shapes on the other's skin. He felt the other shiver a little bit and smirked softly to himself, sucking in a breath. "I'm kind of sore." He said after a second. 'That's normal, right?"

"Unfortunately..." Kankuro sat up a little bit, a frown on his lips. "I tried to make sure it wouldn't be too bad but being a little sore is normal. Does it hurt too much though?"

"No, it's fine. I just...I was making sure it was normal." Kiba assured, shrugging. "I've never...obviously." His fingers didn't stop, tracing random shapes down Kankuro's side, feeling the way the man shivered at his touch. "I'm sorry, it sounds weird now that I hear myself."

"It isn't weird." Kankuro murmured softly, pressing his lips to Kiba's for a second. "I'm just glad I didn't hurt you. I ah...got a little carried away near the end."

That was true. Kiba knew he had bruises on his hips from how hard Kankuro had gripped him when he started to thrust into him without hesitation, chasing after his orgasm after Kiba nearly fell apart after his own. Not that Kiba had  _any_  complaints. He rather liked knowing he had some marks to prove that last night actually happened and it hadn't been some sort of emotional dream. It would have been a cruel twist of fate for last night to have been just a dream, but he had evidence; it was real and it happened and just thinking about it made his heart soar.

"We both got carried away." Kiba pointed out, one hand moving along the other's back until he felt the scratches he left there the night before. It made him smirk a bit and Kankuro blushed hard, chuckling.

"I wasn't complaining." He assured him, rolling away from Kiba so he could stretch out, yawning loudly. He scrubbed a hand over his face and looked towards the open window, scowling a bit. "That sunlight is way too bright, I think."

"Maybe if your room wasn't a dark cave it wouldn't seem that bright." Kiba retorted as he stretched out, sighing softly.

"Hey, it keeps my room cool when I have it all closed up and shit." Kankuro shot back, snorting softly. He sat up and ran a hand through his messy hair, looking over at Kiba with a smile that was smaller and more somber than before. "You heading out soon, then?"

Kiba paused at that, a frown slowly etching it's way onto his lips. Right...that was something he had to think about now that the sun was up again. He sighed and pulled the blankets further up and over his head. "You killed the mood you spent all night creating."

"It was going to come up sooner or later." Kankuro pointed out softly. There was a gentle tug on the blanket and Kiba held firm for just a second before he let Kankuro yank it down. His smile was apologetic when he spoke again. "Sorry. Did you want to reminisce over the best sex of your life a little longer?"

"Considering I don't have a very wide frame of reference can we really call this the best sex of my life?" Kiba asked him, lips tugging into a small, amused smirk as he saw Kankuro's slightly scandalized expression. Ah yes, there we go. He could joke his way out of the bad feelings.

"Kiba. I'm a  _puppet master._ " Kankuro insisted, eyebrows raised in a way that made Kiba feel like he was hinting at something.

"What the hell does that have to do with us having sex?" Kiba asked with a snort, sitting up and cocking his head to the side. "The puppets had no part in what we did, thank you very much."

With a grin Kiba could only describe as mischievous, Kankuro wiggled his fingers in front of the other's face. "Puppet masters are  _very_  skilled with their fingers."

Kiba had to blush at that, turning away so he could smile to himself. He couldn't exactly disagree, after all. "True but it wasn't your fingers making me scream last night." He offered after regaining his composure a little bit.

"True, but we can change that." Kankuro offered with a suggestive eyebrow wiggle, leaning in to kiss Kiba again. This kiss was dirtier than before, all tongue and teeth and it made Kiba's toes curl a little, but it was disrupted by a knock on the door. Kankuro pulled away with a small huff, throwing an irritated glare towards his bedroom door. " _What_?"

"Someone is here to see Kiba." Gaara said from the other side of the door. Kiba didn't even know Gaara was home and he blinked in surprise, before frowning in confusion.

Kankuro and Kiba shared the same confused look before Kankuro looked back towards his door. "Alright, we'll be down in a minute."

Kiba groaned softly as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Who the hell would be here to see me? I barely know anyone!"

"Maybe you have a secret admirer." Kankuro suggested with a grin, kissing Kiba's cheek one more time before he crawled over him to get out of bed.

Kiba caught himself staring a little longer than he should have. Hell, Kankuro was naked. Of course he was going to stare! He couldn't really help it, face burning hot as his eyes drifted down to gawk a little too openly at Kankuro's ass before he finally tore his gaze away, getting out of bed and picking his clothes up from the floor. "What are you going to do if it is a secret admirer, huh? Chase them out of the house?" He asked with a teasing grin, tugging on his shirt.

Kankuro hummed playfully as he pulled on his pants. "I won't run them out of the house, no. But if seeing those hickies on your neck doesn't scare them off I might have to grab your ass in front of them, Kiba. Or your dick." He said, sounding like he was trying to be grave and apologetic but the smile on his face was  _far_  from sorry.

"You are  _not_  grabbing my dick in front of a stranger. Or your brother for that matter." Kiba shot back with a scoff. "My ass, sure. But not my dick. I would actually die. Besides, you touched my dick enough last night."

"Kiba, I'm going to be entirely honest with you." Kankuro told him, smirking softly. "I could literally have my hand glued to your dick and it still wouldn't be enough touching for me." He said it so casually, like it was something he'd say in any normal, every day conversation.

It made Kiba scoff loudly, before he burst into small giggles. "You're  _ridiculous._ " He said finally, unable to fight down the smile on his lips."But I guess I should feel honored, right?"

"Nope. I'm the one that's feeling honored." Kankuro promised him, making his way over to capture Kiba's lips in a he pulled away he winked at him. "The fact that you let me be around you at all makes me feel honored, babe."

_Babe_. Christ, Kiba wanted to melt into a puddle then and glanced away, his smile now something more sheepish and embarrassed, and he cleared his throat. "We should head down stairs before Gaara comes up again..."

"You're so cute." Kankuro murmured the words so softly that Kiba wasn't sure if he was supposed to have heard them or not. Either way it still made his heart skip a beat and he followed Kankuro to the door, grabbing onto his arm to stop him. Kankuro stumbled slightly and looked over a him, head cocked to the side curiously. "Kiba?"

Kiba kissed him, just a quick kiss that only lasted a couple of seconds, but even though it was so short it made his stomach flutter. He never imagined someone could still feel so smitten after having sex. He always thought that maybe the feelings died down enough to be tolerable, that he wouldn't be choking on his own amazement and joy every time their hands so much as brushed against each other. But here he was, still so worked up by a simple touch, still so delighted with his own ability to kiss Kankuro himself without any prompting.

The surprised expression on Kankuro's face definitely helped, of course.

Kiba winked at him, opening up the bedroom door. "Sorry. I wanted to do that before we went down stairs." He caught sight of Kankuro's affectionate eye roll before making his way down the hallway.

He wasn't sure who to expect to see waiting for him downstairs if he were being honest. He didn't know very many people here in Suna and the few people he did know...probably wouldn't seek him out, especially not here at the Kazekage's house of all places. Nothing, though, could have prepared him for seeing his dad seated stiffly on the couch, hands folded in his lap, Gaara and Akamaru lingering in the center of the living room while they waited for Kiba. Kiba actually had to stop and blinked a couple of times, unsure if his eyes were playing tricks on him. All at once it felt like things around him shattered and he was reminded why he was here in the first place and was reminded that he was playing house with Kankuro in hopes of avoiding all these awful feelings. Now the feelings were twisting around inside of him and he wanted to throw up.

Kenzo stared at him, keeping eye contact for a moment, but then he tore his gaze away as Gaara cleared his throat and looked at Kiba. "He came to my office asking to see you. I brought him here so less people would get involved." Gaara murmured.

"Right..." Kiba nodded, struggling to keep his breathing normal. He wasn't sure if he was angry that Kenzo had come looking for him or if he was angry that Gaara had brought him here. It was hard to be angry at Gaara, though, considering how much help he gave Kiba already.

Gaara stared at him for a moment or two more before he headed for the kitchen. "I'll give you two some privacy. Kankuro, come with me."

Kiba knew Kankuro didn't want to leave his side, could sense the anxiety rolling off the other man in wild waves. Kankuro sighed and glanced at Kiba, giving him a small and firm nod, before he followed Gaara into the kitchen. Akamaru stayed in the living room, making his way over to Kiba and whining softly, drawing a quiet sigh from Kiba's lips. "It's fine, boy." He finally looked back at Kenzo, fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. "Did you want something?"

Kenzo, to Kiba's inner delight, looked almost nervous to speak. He sighed and rolled his shoulders in a small shrug. "I didn't want things to be left the way they were, Kiba. I wanted us to talk-"

"There's nothing left to talk about." Kiba cut in with a sharp shake of his head. "You answered the questions I had, there's nothing left to say."

"Kiba," Kenzo had an expression on his face that Kiba didn't like. It was a mixture of exhaustion and sadness that made Kiba's stomach twist in ways he really, really didn't like. He sat up a little straighter, frowning just enough to leave Kiba feeling unsettled. "I don't want you to go back home without us fixing this-"

" _Fixing this_?" Kiba echoed with a frown. "If you wanted to fix things you would have tried being in our lives! It doesn't matter if you want to try and be a dad  _now_  because you were never a dad this whole time!"

The moment of silence between them was deafening and Kenzo glanced away, nodding slowly. It was hard for Kiba to understand the mixture of emotions churning in his gut. On one hand he was furious, the anger from yesterday flaring back with a vengeance, but on the other hand he just felt...sad. And Tired. Like he just wanted to lay down and be done with all of this. At his side Akamaru whined, again, and Kiba gently patted his neck.

"That your nin-hound?" Kenzo asked slowly.

Kiba blinked and glanced over at him, frowning softly. "Yeah...his name is Akamaru. I've had him since he was a pup." He wasn't sure why he was explaining this to him. Kenzo wouldn't care in the end, would he?

"He's huge. Way bigger than your mom's dog, Kuromaru." Kenzo noted. When he smiled it sort of took Kiba by surprise. "It looks like you two are great partners."

Kiba shrugged as he looked away, looking at Akamaru for a second. "Yeah, we are." He murmured softly. He ran his hand through his hair as he turned to face the man again. "Look, don't...don't try to make casual conversation with me, okay? There's nothing for us to talk about and I don't want to see you."

"I understand that." Kenzo stood up, arms limp at his sides. "Will you just...hear me out? You don't have to say anything in response after. Just hear what I have to say and then I'll leave."

"Fine." Kiba groaned, nodding as he crossed his arms over his chest, looking at anything other than his father. "Sure, I'll listen. Make it quick."

"I just wanted to tell you that...I'm glad to see you again." The tone of the man's voice was...different. Sad, maybe, with something close to affection. Love, maybe, if Kiba wanted to be generous enough to admit to that. "Not a day goes by that I don't think about you and your sister and seeing you...made me very happy. I know I probably didn't give you the answers you wanted and I...wish I could have. But nothing can change what I did and didn't do for you, Hana, and your mother. I'm not...asking you to forgive me. But I want you to know that whenever you're in Suna...you're always welcome in my home if you ever want to come by again."

It almost felt like a punch in the gut. Kiba blinked a couple of times, horrified to realize his eyes were stinging with tears, and he sucked in a sharp breath as he watched Kenzo head for the door. No words could escape his lips, as if he'd forgotten how to speak. When Kenzo reached the door he paused and looked back at Kiba, tucking some hair behind his hear. "Tell your Mom she did a great job raising you."

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Kiba could only nod. "...She knows she did."

Kenzo chuckled, a sound Kiba knew would be stored in the back of his mind for the rest of his life. "Yeah, I'm sure she does."

There was nothing but silence when Kenzo left. At first Kiba didn't move, his eyes glued to the door as he tried to work out just what he was feeling now. He wanted to be angry because being angry felt like the right thing to do. But he couldn't muster up any anger anymore. It almost felt like he'd been drained of it all, leaving behind nothing but a tired sort of sadness. He heaved a sigh as he looked at Akamaru again. "Sorry I ditched you last night, Big Guy. You wouldn't have wanted to hang out with us anyways."

Akamaru wasn't mad; he knew exactly what they were doing and didn't want to see it. He nudged his nose into Kiba's arm gently, yipping softly, and Kiba managed a small smile before making his way into the kitchen. Gaara was leaning against the counter, a mug of coffee in his hands, while Kankuro was busy making breakfast. Eggs, from what it looked like. Simple.

Gaara's eyes flickered to Kiba and it made Kiba shudder; Gaara looked...like he was in a  _mood_. "I'm sorry for bringing him here without warning, Kiba. But he wouldn't take no for an answer even from me. I was growing quite irritated." He sipped his coffee. "I apologize."

"It's fine." Kiba assured, sitting down at the kitchen table. He leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling, not a single coherent thought forming in his head. He didn't reach this level of "upset" very often, the level where all other thoughts were just a jumbled mess that he couldn't make sense of. And to think this morning had started out so well...

Gaara sat down across from Kiba at the table, sipping his coffee slowly while he stared at something past Kiba, like he was sort of just staring into space. Kiba cocked his head when he looked at him, unnerved by the suddenly uneasy aura of the Kazekage. When Gaara's eyes flickered to his again and narrowed just a bit Kiba wanted to hide, but he held firm and stared right back. Gaara took another sip of his coffee before setting the mug down on the table top. "The two of you had a rather eventful night, from what it sounded like."

At the stove Kankuro snorted while Kiba's face burned hot. Kiba groaned and rubbed his face with both of his hands "You _heard_  us? Did we wake you up?"

"No, I was already awake." Gaara assured him with a very small, barely noticeable shake of his head. "I was trying to reply to a letter from Lee and...failing miserably most of the night."

"Failing miserably?" Kankuro looked over his shoulder at them, an eyebrow arched curiously. "What, was it a dirty letter or something?"

"I wish it had been." Gaara sighed. Kiba had never seen him look so...defeated. "We're in a bit of a disagreement right now over something. I spent all night trying to figure out how to fix it."

"What's the issue?" Kiba asked with a small frown. Here he thought Lee and Gaara's relationship was perfectly flawless.

Gaara shifted in his seat a little bit as he propped his chin up in his palm, lips turned down in a small scowl. He was hesitant to tell them which, in a way, made Kiba kind of feel bad for asking, but he cleared his throat after a moment and replied, "The...distance isn't as easy anymore as it used to be. Which...I'm sure is humorous considering the speech I gave you about how it was easy for us, Kiba...but it hasn't been very easy for a while."

"Oh..." Kiba wasn't sure what to say. "I'm...sorry. Did you...manage to figure out what to say to him?"

Gaara nodded, though it was a more hesitant gesture. Kiba didn't miss the way his eyes flickered towards Kankuro, like he was nervous. He looked at Kiba again and shrugged. "I did...Lee's problem was that he...was getting restless and didn't like the small number of times we see each other. I...agreed with him. It isn't like I enjoy being too far from him. But I didn't realize just how much it bothered him...We've been sending letters back and forth about it for a few weeks, now. His last one was...quite serious. So last night I came up with a solution." His eyes darted to Kankuro again and Gaara looked glad that the other wasn't facing them. "I decided to ask him to marry me."

" _What?_ " Kankuro whirled around, nearly knocking the frying pan he was using off the stove. They stared at each other, gazes never wavering, until Kankuro had to whirl back around to shut off the stove. "Gaara are you... _what_?"

Gaara sighed, slender fingers coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Kankuro, this doesn't have to be a fight."

"You're not ready to get married!" Kankuro insisted with a small frown, hands on his hips as he stared Gaara down, despite Gaara not looking anywhere near intimidated. "You can't just decide to get married just because he's unhappy with the way things are!"

Anger flashed across Gaara's face and it made Kiba stiffen, afraid. Gaara stood up so quickly that his chair screeched against the kitchen floor, his hand slamming down on the table top. "What makes you think you have a say in whether I'm ready or not? That is my choice. And don't make assumptions about my choices and my relationship. You don't know anything about it."

Kankuro bristled at that, stepping so close that Gaara had to look up at him a little bit. His fingers twitched at his sides, as if he wanted to grab something, but he didn't make a grab for Gaara which...made Kiba relax just a little. "I'm your older brother. I'm the one that's supposed to protect you and make sure you're okay. Rushing into something you don't even know about to appease your boyfriend is just going to-"

"Rushing into something I don't know?" Gaara cut him off, voice louder than before. His expression was...almost terrifying, a mixture of utter anger and betrayal. This time it was Gaara who stepped closer, invading Kankuro's space and making Kankuro stumble back a step. Kiba knew he had no reason to be afraid, really, but in that moment all he could think about was that day in the exams back when Gaara had been...less that civil. Gaara's voice was strained, like he was holding something back. "What right do you have to accuse me of rushing into something, given your current relationship status? At least I know my relationship would be headed somewhere."

_Ouch_.

Kankuro seemed to stiffen and Kiba had to tear his gaze away, suddenly suffocated by how awkward he felt now. He bit the inside of his lip as he leaned back in his chair again, looking up in time to see Gaara sigh and rub his face.

"...Look, Kankuro, if you want to argue about this then that's fine but we won't do it in front of Kiba." Gaara murmured, voice lowered to barely a whisper. "Come to my office and we can talk about it. And Kiba," He turned to Kiba, looking apologetic. "A letter from Kakashi also came with Lee's letter. He was inquiring about the status of your mission. I'll send a reply out today; what would you like me to tell him?"

With the attention on him Kiba hesitated, thinking it over. Gaara was staring at him patiently, no doubt wanting to just hurry and get to his office. Kankuro, on the other hand, looked strained and uneasy. He was avoiding Kiba's gaze as if he was afraid of what Kiba was going to say. Kiba couldn't blame him, really. This morning had started so well, only for them to have it all blow up in their faces. He looked back at Gaara with a small frown. "Tell him I got what I came for and not to worry. I'll head out tomorrow."

Kankuro met his gaze as Gaara left the room, looking both exhausted and uneasy, and he sighed heavily. "Can we talk later, Kiba?" He wanted to talk to Gaara about the Lee thing, Kiba knew. The way his eyes kept darting from Kiba to the door way was a dead give away, anyways.

He nodded and tried to offer up an assuring smile, hoping it would ease Kankuro's mood at least a little. "Yeah, of course. Go do your thing, I've gotta get my stuff packed and everything."

Kankuro seemed hesitant to leave though, eyeing Kiba for a few long and uncomfortable moments before he eventually huffed and made his way over to him. He kissed him before Kiba could even ask what he was doing, a slow and lingering kiss that sent a wave of warmth down his spine. He pulled away quickly, though, and gave Kiba small smile. "I'll be back soon."

He hurried out of the kitchen before Kiba could come up with something to say. It left Kiba alone in the kitchen, save for Akamaru who was lying under the table, and he groaned softly as he looked around the kitchen. The stove was a mess, half cooked eggs in a pan that looked close to falling off the stove top as a result in Kankuro's sudden outburst. He stood up and started to clean the stove, frowning to himself.

Truthfully, he didn't see a real problem with Gaara asking Lee to marry him. They'd been dating or years now and it wasn't like their feelings for each other had faded at all. Lee was always gushing about Gaara back home and was always getting gifts in the mail from the Kazekage. Gaara always came to the Leaf for Lee's birthday, Lee always went to Suna for Gaara's...it wasn't like they were a bad match. They were perfect...at least Kiba had thought so. He always sort of admired their ability to be so far apart and keep up their relationship, but knowing that the past few weeks had been nothing but stressful and tense for them...

It certainly didn't give Kiba much hope in regards to his own relationship now, either.

He was a little confused at the way Kankuro reacted to Gaara's news, though. After all the talks they had since Kiba had been here it was more than obvious that Kankuro wanted Gaara to be happy. Although the memory of Kankuro's fears when Temari moved were standing out in Kiba's mind, lingering there like a fog. Maybe Kankuro was worried Gaara getting married would put distance between them. Or ruin their bond. Which...made sense, sure, but...it still felt weird to have to hear it.

He kind of just hoped that Kankuro and Gaara could talk it out before the day ended. There was still so much  _he_  had to talk to Kankuro about too.

When he finished cleaning the stove and washed the pan Kankuro had been using Kiba headed up stairs, Akamaru following behind him. Akamaru jumped up onto the bed and watched as Kiba dug around for his clothes, the clothes he had arrived in on his first day in Suna. He'd gotten a little too comfortable wearing Kankuro's clothes while he was here. The very idea of putting on his own clothes again made him feel kind of sad, but he forced down those thoughts as he set the clothes out so he could get to them easily in the morning. He glanced over and caught Akamaru staring at him, making him frown a little. "I know you're worried, but I'm fine Akamaru. Mostly."

Akamaru whined loudly.  _Are you sure?_

He shrugged, digging around in his backpack to see what supplies he still had. "No, I'm not sure. But I'm trying not to freak out until Kankuro gets back so we can...talk. I'm just...anxious. But I'm sure I'll be fine, Akamaru."

He could only hope that was true, though.

* * *

Freshly showered and a little less upset than earlier, Kiba had decided that when the sun started to set he would make dinner for all of them. He stuck to something simple, home made ramen , to try and limit the mess he would make, humming softly to himself as he went back and forth around the kitchen. Akamaru laid under the table, sleeping soundly. All in all it was nice...a little quiet, but nice. He even had the kitchen window open to let in the cool evening air so using the stove and oven didn't over heat the room.

Needless to say, Kankuro and Gaara both looked fairly surprised to see Kiba at the stove when they finally got home, both of them eyeing him curiously. Kiba threw a small smile their way, not wanting to look away from the vegetables he was steaming just yet. "Welcome home."

"You're cooking?" Kankuro leaned against the entryway, head tilted in that affectionate way he saved just for him. "Were you starving or something?"

"Well...yes, partially." Kiba relented, shrugging a little as he turned the burner under the steaming pot off. "But it's also to thank you guys...for your hospitality and all that. You two have done all the cooking since I've been here and I just want to...you know. Do something nice for you."

"You're sweet." Gaara murmured, a tired smile on his lips. "Thank you, Kiba. I hope you don't mind but I had a bag prepared for you for your journey. It has food that won't spoil, several canteens you can fill tonight or in the morning, and some other supplies you'll need on your journey."

"Hm?" Kiba blinked and looked away from the stove finally, smiling softly. "Thanks, Gaara. That helps a lot; I have pretty much nothing."

"Well, we certainly wouldn't want you to die on your journey home." A rare, playful smile. Kiba almost felt proud of himself for earning it, even if it was fleeting. He was leaving the kitchen not even a moment later, though. "I'm going to shower. I'll try not to take too long."

When he was gone Kankuro came further into the kitchen, coming to lean against the counter as he watched Kiba. Kiba glanced at him, trying to smile as genuinely as he could. "How did it go?"

"Bad. Then sort of better. Then really bad...then really good." Kankuro admitted, crossing his arms. "But...it's fine now, I think. We talked it out."

"That's good; I'm glad." Kiba told him softly, smile softening a bit. "I was worried."

"I figured you were." Kankuro murmured sheepishly, glancing away for a second as he shrugged. "I didn't mean to freak out this morning, especially in front of you. It was just...sudden."

Kiba nodded as he started moving stuff around on the stove top again. "Do...I get to make a suggestion about it without you getting angry?" He asked slowly. "Just a general...opinion of mine about why you got upset?"

"You can say whatever you want, Kiba." Kankuro insisted with a small scoff, nodding. "Go for it; I won't bite. Unless you want me to, of course."

"Smart ass." Kiba rolled his eyes a little bit, reaching over to shut off one of the other burners too. "It just...made me think about how you reacted when Temari finally moved. You were upset and everything...Gaara getting married would change a lot of things and he probably wouldn't...need you around as much. Which is...scary for you. So I don't know, that's just what I thought. I'm not trying to say I'm right-"

"You  _are_  right." Kankuro cut him off gently. When Kiba looked at him he was looking away, staring down at the floor as he chewed his lip anxiously. At least Kiba assumed it was anxiously. "That's pretty much what ended up being said at one point when I was talking to Gaara. It...made him a little less angry, I guess. Made me look like less of an asshole. But yeah that's...pretty much it." He jerked his head up to look at Kiba again, tired and a little stressed. "I think it just caught me so off guard because he...never even told me they were having problems. Or that he felt that strongly about Lee. I felt sort of blind sided."

Kiba nodded slowly and reached out to gently squeeze Kankuro's shoulder. "It's good you two talked about it then, even if the conversation didn't start out too well. Are you alright?"

He smiled a little at him, nodding, though the nod didn't look very enthusiastic. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just feel kind of messed up right now." He murmured, reaching out to loop his arms around Kiba's hips and pull him closer. At Kiba's flustered, shy smile Kankuro couldn't help but grin, pressing his lips to Kiba's forehead. "I'm alright, I promise. I'm no where near as upset as I was earlier."

"Good." Kiba replied, his smile widening as he leaned into Kankuro, laying his head on the other's shoulder. "I can't sit and cuddle too long, you know; I'm still cooking. Unless you want burned and gross ramen."

"I prefer normal ramen, thanks." Kankuro assured him through a cackle. He unwrapped his arms from around Kiba's hips and watched him go back to the stove, a small smile on his lips. "You're cute. Being all domestic and shit."

"Oh, hush." Kiba was grinning though, shaking his head a little bit. "You wanted to talk, didn't you?"

"Ah..yeah. But we can wait until after dinner." Kankuro murmured, waving a hand dismissively. "It might make hings tense and I don't want any more tension at dinner."

"Good call." Kiba replied, but he was already going through all the ways their conversation could blow up in their faces. _Obviously_ they had to talk about where to take their relationship, how they were going to keep this up...he wasn't too eager for that. There wasn't a lot he could do, though. They certainly couldn't avoid it or try to tip toe around it anymore. The only thing left was to talk about it and with Kiba leaving in the morning...their time was limited.

Dinner finished fairly early and the three of them sat at the table together, any tension from earlier in the day finally gone. At least Kiba felt like it was and that's what mattered, he supposed. He was proud of the food he made too, surprised it came out so well when he had been mostly distracted by Kankuro's presence in the kitchen. Like some love sick child. Which...he might have been, he supposed.

"Despite how your trip ended," Gaara's voice made Kiba blinked in surprise as he looked over at him, seeing the red head's eyes on him. "I'm very glad we were able to have this time with you, Kiba. It was wonderful to see you and if there's ever something I can assist you with in the future, please don't hesitate to let me know. You're a good friend and I've enjoyed this time we've had together, even if I've been busy working most days."

Well, didn't that just make Kiba's heart flutter a bit? Kiba grinned softly as he glanced down at his food, a little sheepish. The teenage version of him would have been  _losing_  it if he knew he and Gaara were good friends now. "Thanks, Gaara. I really appreciate all the help you've given me. And that you let me stay here, too. It's been...really nice." His gaze shifted to Kankuro fora moment or two, his smile softening just a little bit.

Gaara scoffed softly, drawing Kiba's attention back to him. "Good, then. I'm glad. Kankuro and I will see you off in the morning."

"Alright, that sounds good." Kiba murmured, nodding slightly as he stirred his ramen around in his bowl a bit. "You guys are gonna be rolling into Konoha for Naruto and Sasuke's wedding soon, yeah?"

"Yes, we will." Gaara assured. "I have some things to discuss with Kakashi while I'm there as well, so we'll most likely be there for two days."

"Cool. That'll be nice." Kiba glanced at Kankuro again, catching his eye this time and smiling softly. Kankuro returned the smile, but there was a more somber vibe to it than before. It made it harder for Kiba to keep his grin up, too.

Damn.

When dinner was finished Gaara offered to wash the dishes with Kiba while Kankuro excused himself to go shower. Standing at Gaara's side at the sink, scrubbing away at the dishes felt oddly mundane and yet comforting, like it was something Kiba could do for the rest of his life. It was calming, honestly, and Kiba still couldn't believe how at home he felt here.

"I know I gave you a bit of a hard time this morning about you and Kankuro." Gaara murmured after a few minutes of comfortable silence. He rinsed a plate off under the faucet, handing it to Kiba to try. "But I'm glad that...something happened at all."

"Yeah?" Kiba glanced at him in surprise, drying the plate slowly.

Gaara's nod was small and barely there. "Yes...he's had feelings for you for a very long time, Kiba. As...a brother it was hard to watch. Part of me wanted him to keep believing it could happen but another part of me wanted to tell him to get over it if he wasn't going to make an effort. And...now something's happened. Even if things don't...end up permanent and you two don't stay together...I'd like you to know that I'm glad the both of you were able to enjoy each other's love and company even for a short while. I know the distance isn't something everyone can do...and it can be tiring. But I do wish the best for you both, regardless of what you decide to do."

Kiba was at a loss for words as he dried the dishes he was handed, one after the other. There was a lot he  _wanted_  to say, but wasn't sure how. He wanted to tell Gaara that he was thankful for getting to know him and his family the way he had. He wanted to tell Gaara that no matter what happened he'd still love Kankuro, and that was a fact. He wanted to let Gaara know how at home he felt with them, safe and comfortable in a way he'd never felt before. But mostly, he wanted to tell Gaara that in a way, he loved him. Kind of like a brother. Kiba never had a brother, obviously, but he had a habit of growing attached to people and this wasn't the first time he felt a brotherly pull towards someone. He wanted to say all of this, but the words just wouldn't come out. "Thank you, Gaara..."

"You're welcome." Gaara's voice was warm in ways Kiba never expected. He liked it.

Kiba made his way to his room when the dishes were done, collapsing onto his bed with a tired sigh. Akamaru jumped up to lay by his feet, yawning loudly, and Kiba cracked another small smile. "Get some rest, Akamaru; we've got a long couple of days ahead of us." He was sure Akamaru was glad to be heading home though.

A knock on the door made Kiba's head jerk to the side and he blushed a bit, eyeing Kankuro who stood in the door way in nothing but a pair of sweats. When their eyes met Kankuro smiled a little bit, walking over and all but flopping onto Kiba, making Kiba wheeze loudly. "Dude...!"

"What, am I heavy?" Kankuro snickered, pressing his face into Kiba's neck as his arms snaked around Kiba's hips.

"A little, yes." Kiba retorted with a small roll of his eyes, gently running his hands over the expanse of Kankuro's bare back. "I don't mind, though; you're pretty comfortable."

"I won't be that comfortable when the heat spikes and we stick to each other from all of our sweat." Kankuro pointed out, peppering a few kisses along Kiba's neck before he lifted his head to look at him. "Thanks for making dinner. It was great."

"It was my pleasure." Kiba murmured, smiling again.

Kankuro rolled off of him, lying at his side and stretching out with a jaw cracking yawn. He didn't say anything right away, probably enjoying the silence as Kiba shifted to snuggle into his side. Akamaru was sleeping soundly by the feet, snoring just soft enough for it to cut through the warm, comfortable silence. The silence didn't last too long though, of course. Kankuro inhaled deeply and when he spoke he sounded hesitant. "So you're going home tomorrow."

"Yeah, I am." Kiba replied, nodding to himself.

"Are you glad?"

"Sort of." He shrugged. "I'm glad I'll see mom and everyone again. But I'll miss you."

"I'd hope so." Kankuro scoffed softly. "...What do you want to do? About us, I mean. I had this whole plan this morning to try and convince you that maybe we could handle the distance because Gaara and Lee could but...well, they can't. So my argument lost it's whole point."

Kiba bit his lip as he shrugged a little, bringing a hand up to rub his face slowly. This wasn't the sort of choice to put him in charge of. "...I don't know. No matter what we decide...I still have to go back to Konoha tomorrow and that's going to hurt. But...I don't want to just...forget this happened. That we happened, I mean."

"As if I'd let you." Kankuro muttered. He sat up and frowned, looking down at Kiba with a defeated sigh. "...Shouldn't we at least try? We can't just...leave it all here and pretend you going home isn't going to tear us both apart. We should at least try, Kiba...we both owe it to ourselves, don't we?" As he spoke his hand came back to stroke through Kiba's hair, drawing a tired sigh from his lips.

They did owe it to themselves, though. After everything else, and after the stupid fight, they deserved to at least try.

Kiba sat up too, taking Kankuro's hand from his hair so he could hold it in his own hands instead, squeezing gently. "We can try." He amended. "But...it's going to be hard. And kind of annoying...but you're right. After all the talks we had about how shitty we feel, we deserve to at least...try to be happy. So we'll try." He paused then, lip caught between his teeth again. "But...we have to be able to tell each other when it's too much. We can't let this start to fuck us up."

"I know, I know." Kankuro assured softly, flopping onto his back again and staring up at the ceiling. Kiba wasn't sure what he was thinking about, but seeing the tired and defeated expression form on the other's face didn't sit well with him at all. Kankuro didn't really give him a chance to dwell too hard on it though, reaching up to yank Kiba down into a more heated, bruising kiss. Not that Kiba minded at all, of course.

When they pulled away, both flushed and Kankuro smirking, Kiba couldn't help but roll his eyes. "You can't kiss away the problems, you know."

"Why not?" Kankuro snorted. "You tried to fuck the problems away last night."

Kiba blushed harder and huffed. "That's different."

"It is  _not_." Kankuro retorted with a shake of his head. "It's the same thing; you're just cuter than I am when you do it."

"Not the  _point_." Kiba lightly swatted the older man's shoulder, huffing again. "You gotta tell me what's bothering you, Kankuro. You look all...disgruntled and shit. What's wrong?"

Kankuro sighed and shrugged a little bit, glancing away as he seemed to take a moment to try and place his thoughts. He didn't look nervous. He looked tired. He kinda looked like he was sick of thinking about whatever it was that was swimming around in his head. When he glanced back at Kiba, he spoke so suddenly that it startled him a little bit. "I'm just worried it'll all fall apart. These things...sometimes they're different when things change. When we're together we're...so good. But when we're apart...it'll be different. It's not like you get assigned missions to come here very often and it's not like I get to leave often, either. I just don't...want us to fall apart. I guess I'm freaking out or whatever." He shrugged again, his lips trembling a little. Kiba was almost afraid he'd cry, but Kankuro's voice stayed stern and firm. "I'm trying to be honest with you. But it's...hard to tell you that I'm afraid of this. I feel...stupid. Especially after the scene I made the other night."

"Oh...oh, honey..." The pet name was sweet on his lips, felt like something Kiba would like to say more often. He shifted more and situated himself on top of him, kissing his lips over and over again until he had the other shivering and panting softly for air. "It isn't stupid...it's normal to be afraid. I am too. But...it's like you said. We owe it to ourselves to try and we can't...scare ourselves out of it. Not...not anymore. Not now, when we know how it feels to have each other." He hesitated, bringing a hand up to stroke Kankuro's cheek; Kankuro leaned into the touch. "I know I was worried about it, too...but we aren't Lee and Gaara. We're us...and as worried as the both of us are about this...we need to try."

He was proud of himself, really. Proud that he could admit he was scared and yet still throw himself into this idea. Glad that their fight hadn't ended things like they both figured it would. There was too much going on, too many feelings woven in the spaces between them. Feelings that neither of them knew how to navigate correctly, but he figured that the best sort of romances started kike this. Like a spark of passion that turned into a steady flame. They just had to keep the fire burning.

"You're so smart." Kankuro mused softly, turning his head just enough to kiss Kiba's palm. His half lidded eyes gazed at Kiba, lips tugged up into a small smile. "...It feels better to hear you say you're scared, too. I've never imagined I'd get to do this with you...so I never planned this far ahead. I feel like a teenager again with all of this...over whelmed and afraid and...a mess."

"Well, you've always been a mess."

"Like you haven't?"

"I'm a  _hot_  mess." Kiba retorted, flashing a bright grin.

"Yeah, you are." Kankuro muttered, smiling softly as his fingers started to card through Kiba's hair again. "I love you."

Kiba blinked, face heating up as he fought down the grin tugging at his lips. "I love you, too."

* * *

The sun wasn't even fully up when they made their way outside of the village. Kankuro held Kiba's hand the entire way out while Gaara led them along, trying to make sure no one stopped Kiba on his way out. He had a long journey, after all, and any detour would take more time out of it.

Kankuro's hand was warm in his and he squeezed it gently, keeping his eyes up ahead as he watched Akamaru walk at Gaara's side. H hadn't said much to Kankuro this morning. A good morning kiss and some cuddling, lingering kisses across shoulders and necks until Gaara told them it was time to go...aside from that, not much had been said. Kankuro might have said something to convince him to stay if they spoke too much. But knowing he was minutes away from saying goodbye...it was making Kiba's stomach twist and turn, like something was trying to break free.

His backpack was heavier on his shoulders. Gaara had insisted he let him fill his bag with supplies and while it was more than he needed, Kiba was a little too touched by the Kazekage's concern to stop him. The extra supplies could all be used later, after all. If having a full bag eased Gaara's anxieties then Kiba could live with it.

Outside the village, with the wind blowing through the desert sand, Kiba finally had to suck in a breath and look at the man by his side. Kankuro was already looking at him, eyes soft and lips pressed together tightly. Kiba tried to muster up a smile but he knew it looked weaker than he hoped. He stepped closer and went to speak, but Kankuro had other ideas. The other man didn't even hesitate to pull him into a kiss, tugging him so close that he could have sworn he could feel Kankuro's erratic heart beat through their layers of clothes. The kiss was too heated for the moment, all tongue and teeth, and they both jerked apart when Gaara cleared his throat, as if they had forgotten he was there. Kiba cleared his throat and smiled again, hand coming up to run through his hair. "I'll...write you when I get home."

"Yeah, that sounds good." Kankuro murmured softly, glancing down as he kicked at the sand. "Get home safely, alright? You have to be in one piece when Gaara and I get to Konoha for Naruto's wedding, after all."

"I'll be fine." Kiba insisted with a scoff, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. He glanced at the sky, taking in the sun on the horizon, slowly climbing up towards the sky. It really was beautiful out here now that he took the time to look and to admire. He felt bad for not admiring it all before. He turned back to Kankuro and leaned forward to kiss his cheek. "Take care of yourself, alright? I'll be writing Gaara too so I can check on you."

"Wow, how romantic." Kankuro snorted, but his smile was soft and real. Like he was happy. He turned away from Kiba, though, and opened his arms wide to Akamaru. "C'mere, you big mutt!"

Akamaru all but tackled him into the sand and Kiba snorted softly, before he went over to Gaara and held his hand out to him. "Thanks again. For...for everything. It really meant a lot to me."

Gaara eyed him for a second, looking him up and down as if it was the first time they were meeting. Then he shook Kiba's hand, smiling softly as he nodded. "You're welcome, Kiba. Please get home safely and tell Kakashi I said hello and I enjoyed your presence here. I really am sorry that your main goal here was...less than noteworthy. But I'd like to think you enjoyed yourself."

"I did." Kiba assured, the sound of Kankuro rolling around in the sand with Akamaru making his heart soar. "I really, really did. You guys are great."

"Ah, we're alright." Gaara chuckled, a sound that still warmed Kiba to his very core. "You're always welcome here, Kiba."

Gaara let go of his hand and Kiba turned back around, watching Akamaru lick across Kankuro's face one more time before the dog trotted over to him. Kankuro followed quickly, hands on his hips as he heaved a heavy sigh. "Well, Dog Breath...I'm gonna miss you. Write me when you're home and I'll write something totally cheesy and romantic back." He kissed Kiba's lips, quick and chaste, before pulling him into a tight hug. Kiba hugged him right back, and shivered when Kankuro spoke into his ear, "I love you. Don't...forget that, alright?"

"I could never forget that." Kiba murmured back, squeezing Kankuro like his life depended on it.

He stepped away after a second and waved one more time to the two men before him, before he tugged himself onto Akamaru. "Let's go home, Akamaru."

As Suna disappeared behind them, Kiba's eyes stung with tears. He could still feel Kankuro's hands on him, could still feel him all around himself. It almost felt like he was leaving a part of himself behind and that...that was a scary thought. He was headed home, but for once in his life going home made him sadder than anything else ever had.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos? Comments? You can find me on [Tumblr](http://my-tatteredwingsof-freedom.tumblr.com/) To yell about ships or Naruto stuff


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